hard
hard — adjective
1. Something that is hard does not change shape easily when you push or press it, a
Something that is hard does not change shape easily when you push or press it, and is not soft.
Walid hit his hand against the hard wooden table and quickly pulled it back in pain.
hard + noun for solid surfaces
A hard surface like stone or metal works well for rolling out dough.
The bread was so hard that Jin could not cut it with a regular knife.
After the rain, the ground became hard and dry under the hot sun.
2. not simple; you need a lot of thinking, ability, or patience to make sense of it
not simple; you need a lot of thinking, ability, or patience to make sense of it or finish it.
The maths test was very hard, and Christopher could not finish all the questions.
It is hard for Gabriela to wake up early every morning because she works late.
it + be + hard + for + someone + to-infinitive
Learning a new language can be hard at first, but it gets easier with practice.
Choosing which university to attend is a hard decision for many students.
- difficult
slightly more formal; interchangeable in most contexts
- tough
informal; suggests requiring endurance as well as skill
- challenging
more positive in tone; suggests something is hard but rewarding
文法句型
it + be + hard + to-infinitive
it + be + hard + for + object + to-infinitive
hard + noun
用法筆記
This is the most common sense of 'hard' for A1 learners. It often appears in the pattern 'it + be + hard + to-infinitive' (e.g. 'It is hard to say'). Do not confuse with 'hardly', which means 'almost not'.
常見錯誤
3. Someone who is hard is not easy to satisfy and only likes certain specific thing
Someone who is hard is not easy to satisfy and only likes certain specific things rather than most things.
The restaurant critic was hard to please and rarely gave any dishes top marks.
hard to please: fixed expression
Beatrix's boss is very hard — she rejects every idea that the team suggests.
When it comes to choosing music, Hari is hard to please and only listens to classical pieces.
Hard customers often send food back to the kitchen if anything is wrong.
- easy-going
relaxed and not easily bothered by imperfections
文法句型
hard + to-infinitive (hard to please, hard to satisfy)
用法筆記
Unlike sense 2 (DIFFICULT), this sense specifically describes a person who is hard to satisfy — not a task or situation. Commonly used in the expression 'hard to please'. Distinguish from sense 5 (SEVERE), which describes harsh treatment rather than picky standards.
4. A task or activity that is hard needs a lot of energy from your body or mind to
A task or activity that is hard needs a lot of energy from your body or mind to finish.
Running a marathon is hard work that takes months of training to prepare for.
collocation: hard work
Eliska put in a hard morning of gardening and needed a long rest afterwards.
Quan's job involves hard physical labour from sunrise to sunset every day.
After a hard day of studying for exams, Lakshmi went for a walk to relax.
文法句型
hard + noun (hard work, hard day, hard labour)
用法筆記
Often used before nouns like 'work', 'day', 'labour', 'effort'. The focus is on the amount of energy needed, not on difficulty of understanding (sense 2). Frequently collocates with 'hard work' as a fixed pair.
5. Not kind or gentle; showing a lack of warmth, sympathy, or understanding toward
Not kind or gentle; showing a lack of warmth, sympathy, or understanding toward someone.
The teacher gave Zola a hard look when she was whispering during the exam.
Heather's parents were very hard on her when she brought home low grades.
hard on someone: fixed prepositional phrase
Life in the refugee camp was hard, with very little food and no privacy at all.
The judge had a hard expression as she read the sentence to the court.
文法句型
hard + on + someone
用法筆記
Commonly appears as 'hard on someone' (e.g. 'Don't be so hard on the children'). Unlike sense 6 (which focuses on criticism or unfairness), sense 5 emphasises a general lack of gentleness in behaviour, expression, or circumstances. The subject can be a person, a situation, or 'life' itself.
6. Describing a situation where someone is treated with strong criticism, very stri
Describing a situation where someone is treated with strong criticism, very strict standards, or unfair demands.
The newspaper was hard on the new mayor, attacking every decision she made.
Don't be too hard on yourself — nobody can get everything right the first time.
too hard on yourself: common self-compassion expression
Wages in that factory were low and conditions were hard on the workers.
The coach was hard on the team, making them practise the same drill for hours.
文法句型
hard + on + someone
too hard + on + someone
用法筆記
Distinguish from sense 5 (SEVERE): sense 6 focuses on active criticism or unfair treatment, while sense 5 describes a general lack of gentleness. Sense 6 often appears where someone is actively judged or blamed, especially in the pattern 'too hard on someone'.
7. describes drinks, such as liquor or cider, that have a strong effect because the
describes drinks, such as liquor or cider, that have a strong effect because they contain a lot of alcohol
Tunde only drinks hard liquor like whiskey on special occasions.
hard + liquor / cider / drinks collocation
The bar menu lists hard cider, wine, and soft drinks separately.
Shirin avoids hard alcohol because it gives her a headache.
In many countries, hard drinks cost more than beer at local stores.
用法筆記
Typically used before nouns that name alcoholic beverages, such as liquor, cider, or drink.
常見錯誤
8. describes water that contains minerals like calcium, which stop soap from mixing
describes water that contains minerals like calcium, which stop soap from mixing or creating bubbles properly
The tap water here is so hard that soap barely creates any bubbles.
so + hard + that clause — cause and effect
Gabriela installed a water softener to deal with the hard water.
water softener — common solution for hard water
Hard water leaves white mineral deposits on the kitchen kettle.
Residents in the old building complained about the hard water supply.
- soft
soft water has low mineral content and lathers easily with soap
用法筆記
Most commonly appears in the fixed phrase hard water. The opposite is soft water.
常見錯誤
9. clearly supported by facts that anyone can examine and confirm as true
clearly supported by facts that anyone can examine and confirm as true
The police need hard evidence before they can arrest anyone.
hard evidence — fixed legal collocation
There is no hard proof that the package ever arrived at the office.
The journalist presented hard facts to support her investigation.
Judges base their decisions on hard data, not personal opinions.
- unproven
not yet shown to be true or false
- speculative
based on guesswork rather than facts
用法筆記
Always used before a noun (evidence, proof, facts, data). Does not appear after a linking verb — compare This evidence is strong, not This evidence is hard.
常見錯誤
10. describes a period of very cold or severe weather conditions that make life outd
describes a period of very cold or severe weather conditions that make life outdoors difficult
The region experienced a hard winter with snow lasting until April.
hard winter — most common fixed phrase for this sense
A hard frost damaged the young plants in Meera's garden.
Farmers lost most of their crops during the hard winter last year.
The hikers turned back because of the hard weather on the mountain.
- mild
describes gentle, comfortable weather without extremes of cold or heat
用法筆記
Typically appears in fixed phrases such as hard winter, hard frost, or hard weather. Describes the season or conditions themselves, not how someone experiences them.
常見錯誤
hard — adverb
1. putting a great deal of energy and attention into what you do
putting a great deal of energy and attention into what you do
Élise studied hard for the chemistry exam and got top marks.
collocation: study hard
The delivery crew worked hard all morning to load the truck.
collocation: work hard
Kian pushed hard against the heavy wooden door until it opened.
You have to try hard if you want to improve your spoken English.
- diligently
more formal; focuses on careful, steady effort rather than sheer exertion
- strenuously
emphasises physical force; less common in everyday speech
- vigorously
suggests lively, energetic effort rather than sustained labour
用法筆記
Hardly is NOT the adverb form of 'hard' — it means 'almost not'. Compare: 'I worked hard' (with great effort) vs 'I hardly worked' (very little effort).
常見錯誤
2. If rain or snow falls hard, it falls in large amounts
If rain or snow falls hard, it falls in large amounts
It rained so hard last night that the streets flooded.
dummy-it subject: it rains/snows hard
The snow fell hard all afternoon, covering the town in white.
collocation: snow falls hard, covering + noun phrase
Paloma could hear the rain beating hard against the windows.
By morning, the rain was falling so hard that the river had risen by a metre.
- lightly
of rain/snow: in small amounts
用法筆記
This sense is restricted to weather verbs — mainly 'rain', 'snow', and occasionally 'hail'. It cannot be used for wind ('blew hard' uses sense 1).